The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) donated more than 30,000 food and non-food packs worth over P17 million to the provinces of Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Abra, and Baguio City, which were among the areas heavily battered by Super Typhoon Egay.
On Tuesday, the agency handed out a total of 1,969 food packs and 2,000 non-food packs worth P2.5 million to the province of Abra which was earlier placed under a state of calamity.
The donation was received by La Paz, Abra Mayor Joseph Sto. Niño Bernos, who did not expect that PAGCOR would help them since there are no gaming operations in the province.
“I salute the leadership of PAGCOR for doing such a good will. Wala naman po exposure ang PAGCOR dito. The gaming industry here in our locality doesn’t exist, pero andyan yung PAGCOR para tulungan kami para ipakita na tumutulong sila. And we are very thankful for that," Bernos was quoted saying.
Baguio City also received 2,000 food and 2,500 non-food packs from the state-run gaming and regulatory firm. The city was among the hardest hit in the region which suffered the brunt of the cyclone’s fury after strong winds and intense rains toppled power lines and damaged several trees and structures.
PAGCOR likewise distributed a combined total of 5,000 food and non-food packs to the local government of Vigan in Ilocos Sur on July 28, which were distributed among displaced typhoon victims from the city’s 20 barangays.
Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew J. Marcos Manotoc personally thanked PAGCOR for its immediate response to the needs of the typhoon victims, and for bringing 4,000 food packs, 4,000 non-food packs, and 26 boxes of medicines on July 29 despite the heavy rain and strong winds.
On top of these relief missions, PAGCOR earlier distributed 5,000 food packs to the Province of Bulacan, worth P2 million
Based on a report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), damages to agriculture and infrastructure have reached P5.5 billion, and some 2.4 million Filipinos nationwide were affected by Super Typhoon Egay and the southwest monsoon.
